The meeting that was postponed from April 2020 was eventually convened on Friday, 9 October. Twenty-two members attended the meeting, which included eight committee members. Covid-19 restrictions were in force and preparations had been made prior to the meeting to enable the business of the day to be conducted as efficiently as possible. Reports from the President and Treasurer and minutes of the 2019 meeting had been previously circulated to members and these were approved at the meeting. The re-election of Editor and Treasurer respectively were also approved by the meeting, as well as the co-opting of a member to the committee. Unfortunately Covid-19 restrictions prevented much further socialising and unlike past years there was no post AGM luncheon.
The next Annual General Meeting will be in late summer 2021
Tuesday began with an uncertain sky, the sort that encourages you to take an umbrella, which, of course, guarantees later sunshine, rendering the umbrella completely unnecessary. Our welcome at Le Poulailler was, as always, warm and friendly and the coffee and small viennoiseries were much appreciated. Before ten o’clock Anglophones had already started to gather to the bemusement of the solitary French local who had obviously anticipated a quiet few minutes for his coffee. I explained to him that we were Anglophones congregating for our annual meeting and he was surprised to learn that so many of us were residents, not tourists.
The Membership Secretary and his PA were kept busy with a continuous supply of membership renewals and cheques. Loik was kept busy with a continuous request for hot drinks. What a perfect place it is to meet! And, of course, the sky brightened, and we started to make our way in the cool April sunshine to Les Unelles for the meeting. Some thirty members attended in La Salle Jules Barbey D’Aurevilly. Who was Jules Barbey D’Aurevilly you may ask? Well, not just an obscure French name but actually a Byronesque literary figure, born in St Sauveur-le-Vicomte who was appreciated by Baudelaire and known for his dandyism and snobbery, adopting an aristocratic lifestyle and hinting at a mysterious past although his youth and childhood were actually relatively uneventful. His novels were famed for their risqué subjects. Weird Women, The She Devils and Happiness in Crime have each been translated into English if you are curious.
The President welcomed members to the meeting in an apologetic style, fearful that members might find the proceedings less than exciting. But how wrong could she be? Ahead of us was a treasurer’s report, the voting for the re-adoption of the charity, Les Sauveteurs en Mer for another year, news of three committee members who were giving notice of leaving the committee after three years of service and the cajoling of members to become new committee members.
There was a vote taken regarding whether or not the Association should apply for affiliation with the British Community Committee in France, which is an umbrella organisation of British associations in France, coordinating information on their activities and also able to represent their interests towards the British Embassy as well as the government in the UK. A strong majority of members voted in favour of making an application. The President advised members that this would be her last year so next April the Association will be looking for a new President too.
After the meeting the lunch at La Pergola was a pleasant opportunity to sit on the longest table in Coutances and shout at each other. We enjoyed good food which was efficiently served. My jambon in a cider sauce was delicious and the pizzas looked excellent. If you deserved it you got rhubarb tart and ice cream too.
Some thirty members met on Tuesday morning at Le Poulailler for coffee and viennoiseries prior to the AGM. This was a chance to renew their membership and to meet with friends old and new for a chat. Our friendly host was busy preparing
drinks for the growing number of members arriving.
The business of the day was soon under way at Les Unelles. This year, there was a short presentation from our previous charity, Parentibus, who explained the organisation
and how the charity had grown recently. Our President presented Parentibus with a cheque for 650€.
Later in the meeting, Louise reported on the activities of the
Association during the previous year.
Three new members of the Committee were voted in, a charity was selected and a raffle won. Members stayed chatting after the meeting for some time before walking to
the La Taverene du Parvis for lunch.
It was a really sharp frost on Thursday morning and the first coffee at Le Poulailler was especially welcome, mainly for thawing the hands as much as anything else. Well before 10.00 our friendly host was busy preparing drinks for the growing hubbub of members meeting before the AGM. The small viennoiseries were particularly sweet and started disappearing fast.
Local visitors to the bar looked on in bemusement as this group of English speaking coffee drinkers grew and got louder.
The hubbub grew to more than thirty, including members joining for the first time, before we eventually moved on. Fortunately the walk to the meeting at Les Unelles was short and without the arrival of rain.
On arrival the exciting business of the day was soon under way with a new member of the Committee voted in, a charity selected, a hamper won and parting gifts presented to Kenza, who somehow has managed to escape the Committee. We will miss her language skills. A very warm “Thank You” was also said to Mike in his absence for his long duty as editor. It was a pity he could not hear the round of applause.
After the meeting members stayed chatting for some time before the even shorter trip down the hill to La Crêperie de Sophie where we tried to see how many people you can fit into a small triangular room. Surprisingly the answer was twenty.
Our AGM was held on Wednesday 17th April at the Mairie in Coutances.
The meeting began at 10.30am with 14 members in attendance. Our President, Stevie, summarised the events from the last year.
Our Treasurer walked us through the accounts and answered questions.
Stevie then presented a cheque for €275 to Jenny Luck from CSF Basse Normandie, our
sponsored charity for 2012. Jenny gave us a short but very interesting talk on the work of CSF Basse Normandie and the type of things the money we raised would help with.
Stevie introduced Mike as the Club’s new Secretary (to replace Tom O’Malley who has returned to the UK) and also announced that Caroline Long has stepped down due to pressures of work. Stevie thanked her for all her hard work during her time on the committee and for those lovely summer walks – which she has promised still to organise for us when work permits.
Jean was nominated as a new committee member and she was seconded and elected.
We then voted on the nominated charities and this year we will be supporting Les Petit Freres des Pauvres.
The raffle was drawn and the meeting closed at 11.30am.
Fifteen people then headed off for lunch at Don Camillo’s nearby.
